n breeches with
gores in the seat, winding swathings round her legs almost to her
feet?" Thord said, "He had not noticed that." "Well, then, there must
be but little in the tale," said Gudrun, "if you have not found it
out, but for what then is she called Breeches And?" Thord said, "I
think she has been called so for but a short time." Gudrun answered,
"What is of more moment to her is that she bear the name for a long
time hereafter." After that people arrived at the Thing and no tidings
befell there. Thord spent much time in Gest's booth and always talked
to Gudrun. [Sidenote: Thord separates from Aud] One day Thord Ingunson
asked Gudrun what the penalty was for a woman who went about always in
breeches like men. Gudrun replied, "She deserves the same penalty as a
man who is dressed in a shirt with so low a neck that his naked breast
be seen--separation in either case." Then Thord said, "Would you
advise me to proclaim my separation from And here at the Thing or in
the country by the counsel of many men? For I have to deal with
high-tempered men who will count themselves as ill-treated in this
affair." Gudrun answered after a while, "For evening waits the idler's
suit." Then Thord sprang up and went to the law rock and named to him
witnesses, declared his separation from Aud, and gave as his reason
that she made for herself gored breeches like a man. Aud's brothers
disliked this very much, but things kept quiet. Then Thord rode away
from the Thing with the sons of Osvif. When Aud heard these tidings,
she said, "Good! Well, that I know that I am left thus single." Then
Thord rode, to divide the money, west into Saurby and twelve men with
him, and it all went off easily, for Thord made no difficulties as to
how the money was divided. [Sidenote: Thord marries Gudrun] Thord
drove from the west unto Laugar a great deal of live stock. After
that he wooed Gudrun and that matter was easily settled; Osvif and
Gudrun said nothing against it. The wedding was to take place in the
tenth week of the summer, and that was a right noble feast. Thord and
Gudrun lived happily together. What alone withheld Thorkell Whelp and
Knut from setting afoot a lawsuit against Thord Ingunson was, that
they got no backing up to that end. The next summer the men of Hol had
an out-dairy business in Hvammdale, and Aud stayed at the dairy. The
men of Laugar had their out-dairy in Lambdale, which cuts westward
into the mountains off Salingsdale. Aud asked